On the second day that she didn’t show up the stress became so intense that he could hardly function. Nothing seemed important other than the fact that he needed her in order to breathe. If he had a heart it would be breaking, and that is when he realized that he was in love. He loved this girl, and at the time he didn’t even know her name. This is what he had been missing all his life on this miserable planet. He had been going from one girl to another looking for something, but never finding it. He knew he had to meet Arielle, and he was determined to use every gift he possessed to make her love him.
It took all the strength he had in him to walk up to her and introduce himself. Her voice caressed his soul. Her eyes were like two sparkling sapphires, her limbs long and graceful. Her face was like alabaster and her lips were sensuous, stirring feelings in him like no other woman had ever done before. He knew he was looking at the girl that was going to be his partner for eternity. He was looking at his future, all he had ever lived for.
Her eyes had captivated him from the very first moment he saw her. He had the undeniable sensation that he had gazed into those amazing sapphire eyes before. He had lain awake for three nights following their actual meeting on the beach, trying to recall and explain the shocked feeling that burned through his body whenever their eyes met. Her deep blue eyes seemed to be etched in his mind from somewhere far in the past, but he could neither recall the time nor shake away the sensation. There was nothing in the world that could change that feeling. But how could that be possible when he had never met her before? By the fourth day he had set that feeling aside because he couldn’t find an answer and it was driving him crazy.
One thing was for sure, from this moment on the issue he had with Annabel was now at the top of his list. He never understood how Annabel always knew which girls he was dating and whether the relationships were serious or not. If she found out that he was truly in love, he knew she would try to hurt Arielle, and he couldn’t allow that.
The trip to London was both for business, and for attending the annual ball at his adopted parents’ home, the Dillon estate. He also wanted to talk with Olivia Dillon, the woman who had been his mentor and his mother through his immortal life. She would be the one he would turn to for the advice he needed to make sure Arielle was safe.
Arielle’s image filled his thoughts as extreme excitement and warmth took over his body and made him smile with complete bliss. He had fallen in love with her unconditionally, and he didn’t want to live without her. What a wonderful, overwhelming emotion of delight! He wanted to marry this girl and embrace her for all eternity.
During the flight to London he thought back over the two miserable years he had spent with Annabel, and how he had become what he was.
When Sebastian was growing up, everyone was aware of the existence of immortals. However, they were not aware that many young people had become immortals for the sole purpose of living an endless existence. It was said that immortals could bestow immortality on mortals who were at the edge of death. Immortals could walk into water without getting wet and enter fire without being burned.
For centuries the authorities went after immortals. They were considered evil, even demonic, and the punishment was cruel. It was known that they were incredibly strong and fast, so when they were captured they were locked into cells and starved. Then they were beheaded in the middle of the town square in front of all the townspeople so they could witness what became of immortals. Sebastian winced at the thought.
Annabel was the daughter of Sebastian’s father’s best friend, and she was someone Sebastian had disliked from a very young age. He was twenty-two years old when he married Annabel, and he had hated every moment of his life with her from that day on.
It was an arranged marriage, and both Sebastian and his real parents were completely unaware that Annabel was one of the young people that had joined the immortal world. He was in utter and complete shock to find this out on their wedding day. He had never loved her, had never wanted the marriage, and had never consummated it. He learned to hate Annabel during the time they spent together with deep-rooted feeling. He knew she could destroy him, that his mortal existence was no match for her immortal powers. Two years after the marriage he filed for an annulment, and when it came through Annabel was furious.
She looked at him with fire in her eyes. “I can kill you,” she hissed at him, “but I would rather make the rest of your miserable, mortal life dismal. I will destroy any relationship you try to have in the future. I will never let another woman be part of your life. I will watch you die alone and miserable.” Oh how he hated her!
In 1580, a global pandemic of severe influenza occurred, and Sebastian lost his whole family – both real parents and both of his brothers. That was the most horrible time in his life, and he suffered the worst pain he had ever suffered. The loss shattered his spirit and broke his heart. He’d loved his family so much, and then he was completely alone. Totally inexperienced, he was left with all the responsibility for the family business; he had no idea what to do with the huge family wealth and various liabilities. But he had to pull himself together and make things happen, and he rose to the occasion.
Sebastian’s mind went back to the time when his life had changed so unexpectedly and so drastically. The day of his twenty-seventh birthday he was out with his friends celebrating. A fight broke out and he was in the middle of it. He was hit hard in the back of his head. He remembered the incredible pain he felt and the blood that covered his face. He remembered moving in and out of consciousness. Finally he passed out.
When he came to, he was alone in his room and in his bed. He had no idea who had brought him there, how he had gotten there, or when, but he had been unconscious for nearly three days. At first he thought that maybe the whole thing had been just a dream, but the state of his clothing told him otherwise. There was blood on his shirt, his pants, his hands and face, so he knew that the fight he remembered had been real. But he couldn’t feel any pain, and he was shocked to find out that he was perfectly fine; there were no cuts on his head, his face, or any other part of his body. He remembered thinking that he must have lost his mind. He checked himself again, and found that there was nothing wrong with him at all. Yet he clearly remembered being hit repeatedly, remembered the pain he had felt on the back of his head, and the blood that had blinded him just before he passed out. He just couldn’t understand what had happened to him at all.
He got out of bed, and while he was cleaning up he noticed a beautiful silver ring on his right hand with some strange designs on it. He had never seen this ring before, and when he tried to take it off he was unable to do so. The ring was tightly placed on his finger and it would not budge. This was extremely peculiar, and as he kept looking at the ring, he felt a sudden, strong jolt. His mind traveled back to the day Annabel had told him about her immortality. She wore a ring almost like this one, and she had told him that it had something to do with providing protection for her from the sun. He felt a growing anxiety and fear. What had happened to him? What was going on? He resolved to find some of his friends and try to solve this puzzle, or at least get some answers as to what had happened.
Several of the friends he had been with that night showed signs of having been in a bad fight, and they were all totally shocked to see that Sebastian had not a single bruise or cut. They clearly remembered him being in the middle of the fight and on the floor bleeding. But they couldn’t remember seeing him leave the place, and they couldn’t understand how he could have gotten up and left in the condition he had been in. They had all thought he might even be dead, so they were astonished to see him totally unscathed.
Not getting any answers from them, Sebastian gave up trying to figure what had happened, and just moved on with his life, until he gradually realized that there was something very strange and different about him. He started to notice many things that he hadn’t seen in any other human being except Annabel. For example, he never got sick anymore, and every time he hurt hi
mself he healed within minutes without any assistance from a doctor or any medicine. He could read the mind of every person he crossed paths with, he was extremely strong, and he could move with incredible speed. He also noticed that he never had any dreams at night, he couldn’t cry, and he couldn’t feel his heartbeat anymore.
He was sure that immortality was the explanation for the changes in his life, but how and why had this happened to him? There was only one person he knew of who might have done it, and her only motive would have been to punish him for centuries to come instead of for a short and limited mortal life.
Sebastian shivered again, remembering the fear and loneliness that had consumed his life for years following the discovery of his immortality, and the way his hatred for Annabel had grown stronger with every single day that passed.
It has taken me centuries to feel secure about who I am and what I want. This was Sebastian’s last thought as he heard the flight attendant announce their preparation for landing at Heathrow.
It was raining in London when they landed. Sebastian drove to meet his friend Nathan, as planned. Nathan was also immortal, and was the head of foreign affairs in Sebastian’s company. After a brief meeting, Sebastian went to his hotel suite to rest and refresh for the annual ball at the Dillon estate.
The Dillon ball was a grand annual affair that Sebastian had attended every year with Nathan. It seemed that this would be the last year he and Nathan would be going to the ball alone. Nathan had met the girl of his dreams and they were making wedding plans.
When they arrived at the ball, Loren Dillon, the Dillons’ only daughter, met them at the door. She had met Sebastian five centuries ago. They had become close friends and she had brought him home to meet her family. The Dillons fell in love with Sebastian and he with the Dillons. Sebastian had been alone, scared, and had great difficulty in understanding how to handle his new life as an immortal. The Dillons helped him with his struggles and answered his questions, and he in turn found love in the Dillons, and the warm sanctuary that he needed more than anything else in his life. The Dillons claimed him as their own son, and he was more than happy to claim them as his immortal parents. He adored Loren as a sister, and throughout the centuries he had become quite the protective brother.
Loren was a tall, gorgeous girl with long black hair and beautiful blue eyes. When she saw him walk in, she ran toward him and fell into his arms. “I am so happy to see you both!” she squealed. “Mother said you were coming, and I just couldn’t wait, I have missed you so much!”
Sebastian held her tight in his arms and planted a big kiss on her cheek. “You are still just as beautiful as ever,” he said.
Loren hugged Nathan, and told him how happy she was to see him again. Then she took them both by the hand and pulled them across the room.
The ballroom was full of people drinking and socializing. Nathan and Sebastian knew most of them, so they walked through the crowd smiling, shaking hands, and waving until they got to the place where Sebastian’s mother was sitting with some of her friends. She stood up when she saw them approaching, and stretched her arms out to embrace them.
“Welcome! I’ve missed you both so much! I wish you would come and visit more often,” she said.
Sebastian returned the hug and smiled at her warmly. “Don’t worry, Mum, I will try to come more often in the future.”
She turned to Nathan. With a smile showing at the corner of her mouth, in a soft but mock-stern voice, she said, “And you – you live here! So you have no excuse for not visiting more often.”
She gave him a look as if daring him to disagree with her, but of course he didn’t. He just chuckled and said, “I’m sorry too, Mrs. Dillon, but Sebastian keeps me awfully busy.” He cast a look at Sebastian and they both laughed out loud.
Olivia Dillon was a very beautiful woman. Sebastian loved her like his real mother, and she had always given him good advice and great guidance. As soon as Loren took Nathan to the dance floor, she motioned for him to come closer and made him sit right next to her. When she fixed her eyes on him, she knew right away that something was wrong.
“Well, what is it?” she asked him. Her voice was tender and caring.
“I have to talk with you, mother,” he said. “It’s really very important.”
“Oh! Can it wait until tomorrow? Let’s say around eleven-thirty? If not, we can go upstairs and talk about it now.”
“No, it can wait,” he said. “I’ll be here a couple of days. And I had planned to come back tomorrow for this specific reason.”
“All right then, tomorrow around eleven-thirty. Now, let’s enjoy the party, what do you say?”
“Yes, I would love that,” he said.
Loren came back toward them, pulling Nathan, who was following her like a puppy. “All right, it’s your turn to dance,” she called to Sebastian as she took his hand and pulled him to the dance floor. He let the music fill his mind and closed his eyes. How he wished he could be holding Arielle in his arms and kissing her warm, sensuous lips!
“Sebastian!” Startled, he realized Loren was calling his name.
He opened his eyes and looked at her with a warm smile. “I am so sorry, Loren. My mind is preoccupied and I just got carried away.”
“Is she pretty?”
“Yes,” he said, chuckling, “she’s gorgeous.” He gave her a big squeeze, making her giggle. When the music stopped he kissed her, and walked over to the other guests to make small talk.
He returned to the hotel late that night, anxious about the next day. He wanted to fall asleep and dream of Arielle, but of course as an immortal he couldn’t dream. He closed his eyes and was startled by the vision that filled his mind: he saw Arielle standing there, with tears in her eyes. Why was she crying? She looked as if she were trying to tell him something, but he couldn’t hear her voice. His eyes snapped wide open and he felt shaken by the strong vision. What did it all mean?
Chapter 11
IT WAS 11:20 when he arrived at the Dillon estate the next morning. Everything looked quiet compared to the night before. He used his key, let himself into the foyer, and called out for his mother. Edwin, the faithful butler, appeared and motioned Sebastian to follow him through the huge halls, through the study, and into the garden.
Olivia Dillon was sitting in her chair reading a book. She looked up and smiled wide when she saw him approach. “Good morning, dear! Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, thank you, mother,” he said.
“Come take a seat next to me and let’s discuss what’s bothering you so much. Nothing is entirely fixed in life, you know that,” she said. “Disaster may come, but we can always find ways to circumvent it.”
Sebastian had first met Olivia Dillon in 1643 while visiting Württemberg, in the southwestern part of Germany, east of the Upper Rhine. Württemberg was a beautiful Alpine town with lovely painted houses, exquisite cafés, and great nightlife. It was very well known among the immortals.
The Dillons were a very influential immortal family with great ties in high places. Olivia Dillon had extraordinary powers and had been happy to make Sebastian a new addition to their family. She gave him advice and guided him to the right people and the right places. He looked up to her and loved her like his real mother. She was the person he had turned to every time he needed help or advice. This was one of those times, and he knew she would know what to do.
“What is it? Let’s talk about it,” Olivia said. Her voice was full of concern.
“Mother, I’m in love for the first time in nearly five centuries. I’ve found the perfect girl for me. I want to marry her and make her my wife. Her name is Arielle.”
“Sebastian! It’s about time,” Olivia exclaimed joyfully. “I’ve been waiting to hear those words for centuries. Then what’s making you so unhappy and so worried?”
“Well, I have a couple of issues that I would like to talk to you about. The first and most important is Annabel. She’s not willing to let me go, and I’m afraid for Ar
ielle’s safety.” He paused and then continued. “She hasn’t been much of a problem for me up to now, but she vowed to destroy my life if I ever fell in love with another woman. I’ve no idea how she finds out who I’m dating and how important my relationships are, but she seems to be very well informed and it complicates my life.”
“I always thought she would become a big problem someday,” Olivia murmured. “And what is the other issue?”
“My other issue is the fact that Arielle has no idea of who I am – and more important, what I am. What if she doesn’t accept me when she finds out? I love her so much! A rejection would crush me completely.”
“Why would she ever reject you? I don’t understand.” Olivia’s gaze had grown inquisitive.
“Mother, Arielle is a human.”
“Oh…indeed!” she said. Then she sat quietly for a long time. Finally she got up and asked Sebastian to follow her. They entered the house and went straight upstairs to the master bedroom. She walked up to the dresser, opened the bottom drawer, and pulled out a black leather box. She placed it on the top of the dresser and, taking a small key from a hidden place on the back of the mirror, she unlocked it and took out of it a small leather book and a little black velvet pouch.
“This will have to be the answer for now,” she said quietly.
Then she asked him to sit with her on the huge sofa by the window. Out of the little pouch she pulled a shiny gold pendant with a gorgeous blue stone in the very center. As he looked closely, he could see an amazing carving of a strange looking beetle in the middle of the stone.
“This is a real scarabaeus that belonged to the Egyptian Pharaoh Djoser of the third dynasty,” Olivia said. “This beetle is the guardian of the holder. The Quintessence – the four elemental forces in the universe: Earth, Fire, Air, and Water – created it. The scarab was placed in the very center of the pendant, representing the heart that holds the mind and the soul of the individual who wears it. The owner is protected from all evil and anything bad that could harm them as long as it’s on their body.”
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